LOL: What does it mean to torture players?

"Okay, then."

Upon hearing this, Xia Han suddenly raised her head, her eyes instantly shining with surprise again.

"Thank you! Thank you, Brother Mozi!"

Su Mo stepped forward with a hint of helplessness and opened his arms.

Seeing this, Xia Han quickly dropped the microphone, which was caught by her colleague in a flurry of activity. With a hint of shyness and excitement, the colleague gently hugged her.

It was a very brief and polite hug.

Su Mo simply patted her back lightly twice as a symbolic gesture.

Even so, he still felt somewhat uncomfortable when the girl's faint jasmine scent wafted over him.

For Xia Han, those two short seconds felt like an eternity.

She could clearly feel the boy's refreshing aura and the warmth emanating from his body through his thin uniform, and her cheeks instantly burned like fire.

After the hug ended, the two quickly separated.

Xia Han's face was flushed red to her ears. She bowed deeply to Su Mo: "Thank you! Thank you so much! Our e-sports news team will definitely provide you and EDG with the most comprehensive championship coverage!"

After saying that, she retreated back into the crowd, her face flushed, as her colleagues pulled her away.

"Alright, alright! Interview time is over!" Seeing this, Abu immediately stepped in to take control. "Thank you for your attention, our players need to rest!"

With security personnel clearing the way, the EDG team finally escaped the media's encirclement and boarded the club's private bus that had been waiting outside.

The car doors closed, shutting out all the noise from the outside world.

Inside the carriage, Jiejie was the first to exclaim, "Wow~~~ Brother Mozi! Your female fans are of such high quality!"

"How does it feel, Mozi-ge?" Meiko asked with a mischievous grin. "What kind of perfume is that reporter wearing?"

Su Mo ignored the group of clowns, found a seat by the window, put on her headphones, and closed her eyes to rest.

But the faint jasmine scent from that hug still seems to linger in my nose, refusing to dissipate.

The bus slowly started, carrying glory and fatigue, heading towards EDG's esports club base in Shanghai.

However, when the vehicle approached the base, everyone was shocked by what they saw.

The entire street in front of the club's base was already completely blocked.

Thousands of fans spontaneously gathered here, dressed in EDG's black and gold team uniforms, waving support flags and light sticks, turning the place into a black and gold ocean that was even more frenzied than the finals venue!

"EDG! Awesome!!"

"Mo! The eternal God!"

The deafening cheers and shouts seemed to tear the night sky apart! Countless fans rushed to the bus, excitedly pounding on the windows, their faces beaming with pure joy and pride, many even with tears of excitement on their faces.

The team members inside the car, including Su Mo, were all deeply moved by this heartfelt enthusiasm.

They all crowded to the window and waved enthusiastically to the fans outside.

At this moment, they truly felt that every championship was not just the glory of a few individuals, but also carried the expectations and love of countless people.

This grand welcoming ceremony lasted for a long time.

Only after all the team members had safely entered the base did the enthusiastic fans reluctantly disperse, persuaded by the club staff, leaving behind only confetti and the cheers of victory still echoing in the night sky.

Inside the base, the lights were on.

Su Mo returned to his quiet room and casually placed the trophy and gold medal from his pocket on the table.

He took out his phone, and the screen was already bombarded with unread messages.

He skipped the congratulatory group chats and opened the pinned chat window.

Rita: "How did it feel to be hugged by that pretty female reporter? [smile]"

Looking at the last smiling expression, Su Mo could almost picture Rita's ambiguous smile on the other side of the screen.

He smiled helplessly, his fingers flying across the screen: "It feels... not as good as yours."

On the other end of the phone, Rita saw the reply, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up slightly, forming a charming smile.

She tapped her finger and sent a "slick-tongued" emoji, but the smile in her eyes was impossible to hide.

Su Mo put away her phone, and her mood inexplicably improved.

He took a shower, changed into casual clothes, and prepared to attend the celebratory banquet arranged by the factory.

As night deepened, the atmosphere in a banquet hall in Shanghai reached its peak.

The entire venue has been generously booked by the EDG club for a grand celebration banquet for the players and staff.

The delicacies were served in a flowing stream, and the champagne tower reflected a dazzling light.

Abu, beaming, raised his glass and loudly thanked each member for their contributions.

The team members completely let go of the tension and fatigue from the competition, and gathered in twos and threes, laughing and joking loudly.

"Come on, come on, our champion FMVP, the world's number one top laner, Mozi!" Jiejie swaggered over with a glass of juice, an exaggerated smile on his face. "You have to drink a few more glasses today!"

"Exactly! You're a real hero to us!" Meiko chimed in, winking mischievously. "And tell us, did that jasmine-scented female reporter add you on WeChat afterward?"

Just as Su Mo was about to retort, a discordant commotion arose at the entrance of the banquet hall.

A young man dressed in flashy clothes with a tuft of dyed yellow hair was being stopped at the door by the club's security guards. Behind him were several companions dressed in the same slick manner.

"Why can't we go in? We're here to spend money!" the blond-haired guy yelled drunkenly. "So what if EDG won the championship and they booked the whole place? What's so great about that? It's just playing a game, what's with the attitude!"

His voice was loud, immediately attracting the attention of everyone in the banquet hall, and the originally lively atmosphere instantly cooled down.

Abu's face darkened, and he was about to step forward to deal with the situation when Su Mo gently pressed down on his shoulder and shook his head.

He recognized the blond-haired guy; he was a somewhat famous streamer on a certain live streaming platform who had gained popularity by being attention-seeking and provoking others, and he especially liked to ride the coattails of professional esports competitions.

Su Mo picked up his wine glass, calmly walked over, looked at the blond-haired guy, and said indifferently, "Friend, we're celebrating our victory here. If you're genuinely here to congratulate us, you're welcome. But if you're here to cause trouble, you've come to the wrong place."

When the blond-haired guy saw Su Mo, his eyes lit up, as if he had found the secret to internet traffic.

He scoffed, looking Su Mo up and down: "Oh, isn't this Brother Mo? What, you think you're something special just because you won a championship? In the end, aren't you just a game addict?"

The people behind him also burst into laughter.

Jiejie, Meiko, and the others were immediately enraged and were about to rush forward, but Su Mo stopped them with a look.

Su Mo's expression remained unchanged. He simply looked at the other person calmly and said slowly, "Esports is a sport. Like all athletes, we strive for glory for our country through day-to-day hard training. You may not like it, but please respect everyone who works hard for their dreams."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear and resounding.

The blond-haired guy was taken aback, then flew into a rage: "Respect? Why should I respect you? If you're so tough, don't be arrogant in the game, come out and fight me!"

Just then, the club manager arrived with more security personnel and gave the blond-haired guy a final warning.

Seeing this, the blond-haired guy knew he wouldn't get the better of him today, so he could only utter a threat: "Fine, you guys are tough! We'll see!"

After saying that, he slunk away with his men.

The young man with yellow hair and his gang were driven away, but everyone's emotions were affected to some extent.

Abu sighed and patted Su Mo on the shoulder: "Don't take it to heart. Fame brings trouble. There are too many people who exploit negative publicity for attention." Su Mo nodded, indicating that he understood.

After the celebration banquet, everyone returned to the base.

The next morning, Abu called a meeting with everyone.

"Everyone, you've worked hard at Worlds!" Abu announced with a smile, looking at the players' still-exposed fatigue. "The club has decided to give everyone a 15-day break starting today! Go home and spend time with your parents, or go on a trip and relax. After the break, we'll prepare for the new season!"

"Oh!!!"

“Long live the holidays!”

This news caused an uproar in the entire training room.

The intense training and competition had pushed their minds and bodies to their limits, so this holiday was like a godsend for them.

Everyone immediately started excitedly discussing their holiday plans.

"I'm definitely going home!" Jiejie said first. "My mom said I have to come home to see me since I won the championship, and she's going to cook me a huge feast!"

“I’m planning to go to Japan,” Meiko said, pushing up her glasses with a longing look on her face. “I’ll go to Akihabara, buy some figurines, and experience the anime culture.”

The other teammates also had their own plans; some planned to go home and catch up on sleep, while others prepared to play games with their friends. The entire training room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Only Su Mo subconsciously took out his phone again and opened the small three-person chat group with Rita and Luo Xin.

During this time, both girls have given him so much support, whether it was encouragement during competitions or care in his daily life.

I don't think I've ever properly thanked them.

Rather than...

He took a deep breath, hesitated for a moment on the screen, and finally typed a line of text with determination.

He first messaged Rita privately: "Sister Rita, to thank you for your continued support, let's go on a trip to relax. I wonder if you would like to?"

After sending the message, he almost copied and pasted the same content and sent it to Luo Xin.

"Ding-dong-"

A crisp notification sound rang out, and Su Mo grabbed his phone.

It's Luo Xin.

Her reply was filled with obvious excitement and a string of cute emojis: "Really?! That's awesome! Of course I would! I was just wondering where to go for this holiday! Mozi, you're so great!"

Su Mo couldn't help but smile as he could feel the girl's excitement in her words.

Before he could reply, another notification sounded.

This time it's Rita.

"If Brother Mozi wants to go, then we can go. I'm fine with anything! Is it just the three of us, Sister Tuozi?"

"That's true at the moment," Su Mo replied with a smile.

"Alright, Sister Hunchback and I will get ready."

Su Mo breathed a sigh of relief and began searching his mind for suitable travel destinations.

As the weather gets colder, going to a warm island seems like a good option.

Sanya? Or perhaps Phuket, which is further away?
Just as he was engrossed in studying the travel guide, his phone screen lit up again, and a new WeChat message popped up.

However, the sender's name made him pause slightly.

Remaining frost.

Su Mo opened the chat box with a hint of doubt.

"Brother Mozi, congratulations on winning the championship again!"

Su Mo replied politely, "Thank you, Sister Shuang."

Soon, Yu Shuang sent a second message: "It's like this, I see you guys are on holiday recently, I was wondering if you'd be free? I'd like to invite you to dinner to celebrate."

Will you treat me to a meal?

He could sense the other person's goodwill, but this sudden invitation still made him feel a little strange.

Could it be that Aunt Yu, the widow, is actually lusting after me?

Su Mo's gaze wandered across the screen, his mind racing.

Looking at the travel plans he had just finalized with Rita and Luo Xin, an idea popped into his head as if by some strange twist of fate.

perhaps……

Su Mo took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind.

Instead of worrying about how to refuse, just extend an invitation.

His fingers tapped on the screen, and finally a message was sent:
"Thank you for your kind offer, Sister Shuang. Well, I was planning to take a trip during the holidays to relax. I just made plans with Rita and Luo Xin, and they both agreed. If you don't mind, would you like to come along? It'll be more lively with more people."

The moment the message was sent, Su Mo himself laughed.

What's this? A professional player taking three female hosts and commentators from the LPL on a trip?

To Su Mo's surprise, Yu Shuang replied almost instantly.

"Okay!"

Two simple words, followed by a playful winking emoji.

Before Su Mo could even process Yu Shuang's quick and decisive agreement, Yu Shuang's second message arrived: "To be honest, I was just wondering how to spend this holiday. Of course, I'd love to go on a trip with you guys. But... what about Rita and Luo Xin? Won't they have any objections? After all, this was originally a trip for the three of you. Will my sudden addition bother you?"

What is revealed between the lines is thoughtfulness and consideration.

Although she agreed without hesitation, she also considered other people's feelings immediately.

Su Mo replied, "It's okay, Sister Shuang, I'll go talk to them. We're all so familiar with each other, they'll definitely welcome you."

Su Mo told Rita and the others about it after a long time.

Rita said directly, "I have no objection. It's more fun with more people. Besides, we usually get along well with the widow."

Luo Xin also said she had no objection.

So Su Mo simply added Yu Shuang to the group as well.

He shared his idea in the group chat: "It's getting cold, and I'm thinking of going to a warmer island, like Sanya or Phuket. Does anyone have any other places they'd like to go?"

Yu Shuang quickly replied, "I'm fine with anything. Island hopping is great; it's a place to completely relax. But if we're going to Phuket, we'll need to apply for a visa in advance."

Luo Xin posted a series of beach and sun emojis: "I want to go to the beach! I want to wear a pretty dress and take pictures!"

Rita posted a thumbnail of a swimsuit photo she had taken at the beach, then quickly deleted it, and said, "Anywhere is fine! How about Phuket?"

Seeing the lively discussion in the group chat, Su Mo smiled easily.

This travel group, consisting of a world champion and three LPL beauties, was officially formed. (End of Chapter)